- All commercial cannabis activity is currently prohibited in the Unincorporated Los Angeles County areas. This includes cultivation, manufacturing, distribution, testing, and retail sale of both medical and adult-use cannabis.
- Each Incorporated City has their own regulations around commercial cannabis activity and should be contacted directly for more information.
FOR THOSE LOOKING TO OPEN A CANNABIS BUSINESS
How can I get a license to operate a cannabis business in unincorporated LA County?
- A legal cannabis business must obtain a license from BOTH the State and local jurisdiction, such as a city or county.
- Currently, all commercial cannabis business activity is prohibited in unincorporated LA County.
- LA County is not issuing or accepting any applications for cannabis business licenses.
- The State of California will not issue a license to a cannabis business located in unincorporated LA County at this time.
In December 2021, OCM published its recommendations on how LA County may proceed with licensing cannabis businesses and create a regulatory framework. This report is available here. Upon approval and direction by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, OCM will move to further develop and implement the regulatory frameworks recommended in the report. Sign up for the OCM’s email listserv to receive updates on cannabis policy for unincorporated areas of LA County.
FOR PROPERTY OWNERS
Can I lease space to a cannabis business?
If your property is located in an unincorporated area of Los Angeles County, note that all cannabis businesses and activities are currently prohibited. This includes cultivation, manufacturing, distribution, testing, and retail sale of both medical and adult-use cannabis. In the unincorporated areas, those who rent property to cannabis businesses may be subject to significant civil and criminal penalties.
If your property is located within an incorporated city, check with that city to find out whether they permit cannabis businesses.
If you are unsure which jurisdiction you are in, you can find out by entering your address in the Registrar Recorder’s address lookup site.
CONTACT US
The Office of Cannabis Management welcomes comments and questions. Feel free to email us at cannabis@lacounty.gov.
To receive status updates and stay informed on regulations for commercial cannabis activity in the unincorporated County areas, we encourage you to sign up for our email list here: Email List.
The Los Angeles County Office of Cannabis Management does not handle cannabis licensing within the City of Los Angeles. For questions about obtaining a cannabis business license in the City of Los Angeles, please contact the City of Los Angeles Department of Cannabis Regulation at 213-978-0738 or cannabis@lacity.org, or visit their website at cannabis.lacity.org.
